Catherine Tarleton
Cathey has been a freelance writer on the island since 2007, following a long career in the visitor industry. She is a regular contributor to Ke Ola and other Hawai‘i publications, and is the author of “Potluck: Stories That Taste Like Hawai‘i,” and “Mr. Mauna Kea,” a biography of longtime boss Adi Kohler. She encourages everyone to find the way to tell their story.
Everyone Wins in Honoka‘a’s Feeding Program
By Catherine Tarleton Sustainable, adj. 1: capable of being sustained, 2a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged, 2b: of or relating to a…
Photos, Recycling, and the Blues: Paul Buklarewicz’s Sustainable Combination
By Catherine Tarleton What do a professional photographer, blues harmonica player, and recycling educator have in common? In the case of Paul J. Buklarewicz of Volcano, they’re all the same guy. A modern-day Renaissance man, Paul is a career educator,…
Aunty Aloha Shares the Gifts of Ho‘oponopono
By Catherine Tarleton It’s all experience. Have you ever thought you were doing something for somebody, and it turns out they’re actually doing something for you? That’s what happened with this writer and Allysyn “Aunty Aloha” Ahuna Bezilla, grandmother, devout…
Sharing Aloha Spirit Worldwide
By Catherine Tarleton What does Aloha Spirit look like in places outside of Hawai‘i? To find out, we asked an ipu (gourd) artist who grows them in both Kona and California, a kumu hula who teaches in Asia and Europe,…
The Bray ‘Ohana—A Talented Family’s Deep Connection
By Catherine Tarleton The story of the Bray ‘ohana reaches back through generations—from Hawai‘i, back to Tahiti, back to ancient knowledge, history, culture, and wisdom. “I have a book written by my great-grandfather,” says Lelehua Bray, hula teacher, travel professional,…
Hawai‘i Handweavers’ Hui: Hard Work and Endless Play
By Catherine Tarleton Words about weaving conjure up artistic images all of their own. We weave stories, spin a “yarn,” and embroider narrative with detail. In Hawai‘i, we weave a tapestry of cultures, from East and West, ancient and current.…
Mila Polevia: Music is Home
By Catherine Tarleton Kohala is almost a mystical place,” says musician Mila Polevia, music director for St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kapa‘au. “Not only is it King Kamehameha’s birthplace, it’s just kind of magical. And there’s lots of famous musicians,…
Mission. Quest. Obligation. Love affair. Award-Winning Photographers on Hawai‘i Island
By Catherine Tarleton Daredevils, geologists, surf and ski bums, travelers, divers, authors, artists, and poets with pictures, Hawai‘i Island’s award-winning photographers are known around the world. These intrepid souls will go—sometimes literally—to any heights and depths to capture their spectacular…
Castles in the Sand
By Catherine Tarleton On any given day, a sunset beachgoer might take the stroll along Kauna‘oa or Mau‘umae beaches and happen upon something remarkable. Spires and staircases of sand stand in wait for some tiny mermaid; tan-khaki-taupe hibiscus and plumeria…
Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School Celebrates 130 Years
By Catherine Tarleton Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School sits on seven ocean-view acres of Hāmākua hillside, its 19 buildings and covered sidewalks painted Dragon (their mascot) green and gold. 611 students, grades 7–12, work and play here. In its 130-year…
Heart and Memory: An Old Plantation Store Still Serves Community
By Catherine Tarleton The 1930s were boom years for the sugarcane industry. Kohala Sugar Company, a giant consolidation of seven sugar mills in North Kohala (Kohala, Union, Niuli‘i, Hawi, Halawa, Hō‘ea, and Star) employed 600 people, and produced 45,000 tons…
Grammy Dust: Charles Michael Brotman is Sparkling with it!
By Catherine Tarleton It’s difficult to describe Charles Michael Brotman in words. He’s a lifelong musician, songwriter, producer, mentor, and Grammy Award winner. Yet, sitting barefoot in his studio, picking the bass line for a new track—sharing it, listening, tweaking…
Woodworking: A Love Story
By Catherine Tarleton Award-winning wood artist Timothy Shafto is part artist, part engineer, and part impresario. A stonemason by trade and self-taught woodworker, Tim presently paints—pours, actually—large epoxy, sand, and wood wall art, using special techniques he has developed over…
Anna Ranch: A Chapter of Waimea History
By Catherine Tarleton Behind the white rail fence and trellis gate, across the lawn and gardens at the foot of Waimea’s rolling hills, inside the gracious white house with blue-striped awnings on its sunny bay windows, lives a story. Opening…
Larger Than Life: The Work of Marcia Ray
By Catherine Tarleton “Murals for me are the most important, because they are painted to tell a story,” says Waimea artist Marcia Ray. Four of her murals, and their stories, are stretched across the upper walls of Parker Ranch Center’s…
A Hospital for the Birds: Hawai‘i Wildlife Center
By Catherine Tarleton Things are hopping at Hawai‘i Wildlife Center in North Kohala—hopping, chirping, swimming, feeding, fledging, healing, and eventually flying. “Last night, we transported in a seabird from O‘ahu and a pueo (owl) from Kaua‘i,” said President and Center…
Family of Service
By Catherine Tarleton For the Medeiros ‘ohana of “First Lava Flow” (Honokua) in South Kona, service is a way of life. Both Clarence Medeiros and daughter Kareen did military service in the U.S. Army, yet their legacy of helping others…
HawaiiCon: Magic and Mōhihi‘o*
By Catherine Tarleton Every day, people travel from around the planet to bask in the Hawai‘i Island sun, immerse in the ocean and feel the warm culture of aloha. This fall, that welcome extends to those from far, far away…
A Depository of Stories: Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou
By Catherine Tarleton “I never thought I would be in the museum business,” says Wayne Subica, director of the Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the old Onomea Plantation Store is filled with an ever-expanding…
Exceptional Art for an Exceptional Community
Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy’s Isaacs Art Center By Catherine Tarleton The Herb Kawainui Kāne painting is what draws me in. From the front door of the Isaacs Art Center, “Cook Landing at Kealakekua Bay” is like a window I need to…
1500 Shades of Aunty Betty Webster
By Catherine Tarleton Aunty Betty Webster and I are having lunch at a local restaurant. She walks in, grabs two menus, and sits in the first booth, facing the door. Aunty, Waimea’s official “sunglass queen” is sporting big bright yellow…
Parker, The Little School that Could
By Catherine Tarleton The red ranch building with the wide white porch rail is 101 years old, and has lived three different lives: as a social hall, USO, and now Parker School. This small school, originally created to serve “indigent…
For the Best Years of Our Lives: Mary Ann Lim
By Catherine Tarleton Aunty Mary Ann Lim piles out of her Honda CR-V and hands me her ‘ukulele as she gathers up two fragrant puakenikeni lei and a spritzer bottle. Hair perfect, white mu‘umu‘u, Tahitian pearl, lavender jade and Hawaiian…
Puuopelu and Mana Hale: Home of Modern Day Ali‘i
By Catherine Tarleton Two long rows of eucalyptus bow to the left, in respect to the prevailing makani (wind) from Kohala Mountain. Through the gate, down the long lane leading to Parker Ranch’s historic homes, there are horses grazing in…
The Rebirth of the Kahilu Theatre
By Catherine Tarleton From the front, Kahilu Theatre is similar to the building created 35 years ago by Richard Smart, sixth generation Parker Ranch heir, Broadway entertainer and “modern day ali‘i” to the Waimea community. Around the corner, however, brilliant…
Hawai‘i Wedding Customs Come from Around the Globe
Every day, wedding couples flock to Hawai‘i to exchange vows and wow their guests—or escape the pressure with a private elopement. Our beautiful romantic settings, near-perfect weather, and atmosphere that breathes aloha make these islands a destination of choice for…
Surf Cowboy: Craig Cunningham
If you were a male in my family, you were a cowboy, or a bronco rider, or you were left behind,” says Craig Cunningham, saddle-maker, surf instructor, artist, and lifetime cowboy. “As a youngster those were the kind of people…
Dr. Billy Bergin: Quarter-Century Veterinarian at Parker Ranch
By Catherine Tarleton On July 1, 1995, on the 25th anniversary to the day of coming, I left the Ranch,” said Dr. Billy Bergin, Parker Ranch’s quarter-century veterinarian and author of three books (soon to be four) about the venerable…
“Try Wait”: Fishermen and Families Work Towards a Sustainable Fishery at Ka‘ūpūlehu
By Catherine Tarleton Around the world’s oceans, fish and seafood populations are shrinking at an alarming rate due to overfishing and other factors. In Hawai‘i, specifically on the West Coast of Hawai‘i Island, anecdotal and scientific data point to steep…
Aunty Mele Kunewa Kekai
By Catherine Tarleton At the far north end of Kona’s Old Airport, a rock and coral trail leads to the quiet cove at Makā‘eo, once a thriving and fully sustainable fishing village. To the left, a tongue of lava forms…
